Kronos Workforce Ransomware Attack Is a Teachable Moment

Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG), a leading provider of workforce management software, whose HR management solutions are used by a who’s who of corporations and organizations, experienced a ransomware attack last December.

Kronos Private Cloud Hack Impacted Public Entities

In December 2021, Kronos revealed that it had been the victim of a ransomware attack, leading to its customers’ payroll systems being taken down and employee data compromised.

So, its customers turned on Kronos.

Some of its customers had to resort to contingency arrangements to pay their staff, such as going back to paper checks. Millions of employees were left in administrative limbo, unable to access payroll systems due to the outages.

The ransomware attack targeted Kronos Private Cloud solutions, a data storage site for several of the firm’s services, including UKG Workforce Central, which employees utilize to track hours and manage shifts.

“We took immediate action to investigate and mitigate the issue, have alerted our affected customers and informed the authorities, and are working with leading cybersecurity experts. We recognize the seriousness of the issue and have mobilized all available resources to support our customers and are working diligently to restore the affected services,” a spokesperson said in a statement issued to NPR.

Kronos’ Business Continuity Plans Were Insufficient

Kronos might have been able to avoid this PR nightmare if it had heeded the warnings of its customers and taken steps to secure its systems.

The Kronos attack was a wake-up call for many organizations like Puma, Tesla, and the NFL, who had come to rely on Kronos for their payroll needs. It has led some to question whether Kronos is really the best solution for them.

After all, if Kronos can’t keep its systems secure, how can its customers be confident that their data will be safe?

And when people understand that entire council municipalities rely on Kronos to keep their data safe, the Kronos attack becomes even more worrying.

The Kronos Ransomware Attack Was a Real Eye-Opener

It showed that no organization is safe from cyberattacks, no matter how big or small.

It also showed that Kronos is not the invincible god…